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| Preschool teachers and children performed a new lyric composition to Hue folk tune |
A work suitable for children
With the painting "Childhood Games," teacher Hoang Thi Bich Ngoc from An Cuu Preschool, Hue City, depicted children playing traditional folk games such as "o an quan" ( A traditional folk game for Vietnamese children, usually played on the ground or on a rectangular drawn board divided into squares.) and nhay bao bo ( Sack racing is a traditional folk game where players stand inside a sack and jump toward the finish line. The first to reach the finish wins.). The painting in bright colors, with a harmonious composition vividly expresses the joy and liveliness of children involved in these games.
Ms. Ngoc shared, “O an quan and nhay bao bo are games I have organized for children, and they enjoyed them very much. From their activities, I created the painting ‘Childhood Games’ to introduce the folk games that today’s children might not have the chance to experience. This is also a way to preserve the cultural beauty of traditional games.”
The images in the painting are simple, familiar, and suitable for preschool children, ensuring aesthetic quality while conveying the message of preserving cultural traditions. The artwork received high praise and won the A Prize in the contest for composing new lyrics to Hue folk tunes, paintings about Hue culture, and collections of local folk games, proverbs, and poems tailored for preschool education, organized by the DoET.
The folk song suite “I love my preschool teacher,” created by teacher Dang Thi Thu Ly, Principal of Binh Minh Preschool, Huong Thuy Town, also won the A Prize in the category of composing new lyrics to Hue folk tunes. Based on the rhythms of melodies like Ly Tinh Tang (A folk song with a cheerful melody, popular in Central Vietnam, often performed in community cultural activities.) Ly Doan Xuan (A short folk melody expressing joy, typically associated with spring and renewal.), and Ho Mai Nhi (A form of traditional chanting from Central Vietnam, with a melancholic tune used to express emotions during labor.) expresses the affectionate and close relationship between teachers and children. According to Ms. Thu Ly, writing new lyrics suitable for preschool children to Hue folk tunes is essential, as it can be integrated into the preschool education program while preserving and passing down the beauty of folk and local culture.
For the first time, the DoET organized a contest for composing new lyrics to Hue folk tunes, paintings about Hue culture, and collections of folk games, folk verses, and local folk poems suitable for preschool education. This effort aims to effectively implement the project “Integrating Local Cultural Education into the Preschool Education Curriculum” in the province.
Over six months since its launch, the contest received more than 200 works across various categories, including new lyric compositions to Hue folk tunes, Hue folk songs, Hue rhymes, Hue folk theater, poetry, and stories; paintings about Hue culture under five themes: Hue cultural heritage, local historical sites, Hue traditional festivals, craft villages, and Hue traditional craft products; and collections of folk culture including verses, stories, riddles, children’s songs, rhymes, games, etc. The works reflect themes such as morality, love for the homeland, praise for natural beauty, historical monuments, traditional crafts, festivals, and Hue cuisine, all tailored to the preschool education curriculum.
Local cultural education
According to Ms. Ngo Thi Hanh, Head of the Preschool Education Division under the DoET, the contest succeeded in drawing a large number of high-quality entries, with content closely aligned with the themes and well-crafted presentations. Most of the works have clear content suitable for preschool children and align with local cultural values. This resource is valuable for implementing the local cultural education program for young children.
The authors used simple language, clear imagery, accurate melodies, and correct musical techniques. The poems have harmonious rhythms, are easy to listen to and memorize, and display creativity. The paintings are highly rated for their artistic and content quality. The movement to collect folk cultural works not only enriches spiritual life but also creates opportunities for future generations to better understand their roots and national culture. It strengthens community bonds through oral transmission and performance, contributing to the preservation of language and customs.
To ensure the contest's quality, the DoET invited over 30 reputable experts with deep expertise to participate in the assessment board for each category, selecting quality works to build the learning resources on local cultural education suitable for children.
According to People's Artist Nguyen Dinh Dung, former Deputy Director of the Hue Opera and Arts Theater, the initiative by the DoET to organize the contest is a sound and significant decision. The awarded works are being printed, archived, recorded, and integrated into preschool curricula to familiarize children with and gradually immerse them in the melodies and tunes of Hue folk music. This is of critical importance because these children will be the future generation responsible for preserving, conserving, and promoting the traditional cultural values passed down by their ancestors.
In the short run, the DoET will continue the process of integrating the contest’s works into the local cultural education tasks within the preschool curriculum. The DoET will also guide preschools to enhance experiential activities, allowing children to interact directly with local heritage and historical sites.